Surgical instrument.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

C. W. S HELDEN. SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 19, 1906.

ami/t'vmoow THE-NORRIS PETERS 00., WA5HIN010N, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. SHELDEN, OF CLEARFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO LEE A. TOPE, OF CLEARFIELD, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 19, 1906. Serial No. 326,966.

To car/Z7, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. SHELDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clearfield, in the county of Taylor and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Instruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in veterinary obstetrical forceps for use upon pigs, lambs, and other animals.

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this character which will be of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction, convenient and easy to operate, and well adapted for the purpose intended.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved forceps, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are views showing the manner in which the instrument is used.

My improved veterinary obstetrical forceps consists of two similar rods or members 0 1 2 and a flexible cord or twine 3, which latter is preferably in the form of a single strip of rawhide or other leather having its ends connected together, as shown. Each of the members 1 2 is made from a piece 3 5 of heavy Wire or metal rod, which may be bent by the user into any shape that may be found desirable. One end of each of these members is bent, as shown, to form a handloop 4, and their opposite ends 5 are flattened and rounded, as seen in Fig. 1, and formed With transverse openings 6, through which latter the cord or cords 3 are passed and are adapted to slide. The use of the instrument will be readily l understood upon reference to the drawings. The parts of the device are arranged as seen in Fig. 2 and then inserted in the animal.

One of the members is then manipulated or worked entirely around the fetus (indicated in dotted lines at F in Figs. 2, 3, 4) and up over the end 6 of the other member, so that the cord or twine 3 between the inner ends of the two members will be formed into a loop which surrounds and engages the fetus. The member 1 is then released and allowed to slip down, and the member 2 and the two depending portions of the cord are then grasped in one hand and drawn up to extract the fetus, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 4. It will be seen that the harder the pull upon these parts the tighter the loop will engage the fetus, so that it makes no difference what part of it is engaged by the loop. The loop cannot slip off, and there is no danger of injuring either of the animals.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended operation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An obstetrical instrument comprising a pair of independent separable rods free to move longitudinally and to swing laterally relatively to each other and having apertures in their inner ends, handles on the outer ends of said rods and a flexible element slidable in said apertures.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. SHELDEN. Witnesses:

W. M. LONG, R. G. GREENE. 

